That’s right. A potential 100% tax increase.

Let’s explain.

Totally forgotten in this spring election is an advisory referendum for Milwaukee County voters on whether they like the county executive’s idea to raise the county’s $30 wheel tax to $60. Here’s the exact wording:

Do you support County Executive Abele’s proposal for a $60 Vehicle Registration Fee (wheel tax) to provide designated funding for transit and transportation-related projects?

The math is quite simple.

Though the referendum is advisory in nature, should it pass, you know darn well the County Board and Abele will fight tooth and nail to enact a $60 wheel tax. That’s a whopping 100% increase.

How did we get here? The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on a Milwaukee County Board meeting last November:

On a 10-7 vote, the board approved a $30 vehicle registration fee ordinance during its annual budget adoption meeting.

Earlier in the meeting, the board on a vote of 17-1 approved a package of amendments to County Executive Chris Abele’s recommended budget that uses revenue from a $30 wheel tax.

Supervisor John Weishan voted no.

“My constituents have told me loud and clear they don’t want a wheel tax,” Weishan said.

Check out this next sentence:

On the subsequent vote for the ordinance establishing the $30 fee, however, six additional supervisors joined Weishan in opposition even though they approved a spending plan dependent on its revenue. The other supervisors voting against the wheel tax include Deanna Alexander, Eddie Cullen, Michael Mayo Sr., Dan Sebring, Anthony Staskunas and Steve Taylor.

You decide if that makes any sense. It doesn’t. The spending plan dependent  on the wheel tax revenue approved by Deanna Alexander, Eddie Cullen, Michael Mayo Sr., Dan Sebring, Anthony Staskunas and Steve Taylor includes the ridiculous BRT, Bus Rapid Transit.

In my view a vote on any plan that relies on revenue from the wheel tax is an automatic NO.

Steve Taylor voted Yes. So did my supervisor, Dan Sebring.

Getting back to the referendum. But Kev, it’s only advisory.  BS.

Approve this referendum and you’re looking at a tax that probably with good odds looking down the road will go up 100%.

100%.

And please don’t be suckered in by the threat that Milwaukee County will go to hell in a hand basket  if this spending increase goes down.

Vote NO.